10:30 P.M. UPDATE
It’s over. The Twins have clinched the American League Central Division for the first time since 2010.
Minnesota’s magic number was two entering play Wednesday, and their win over the Tigers knocked the magic number to 1, and it hit zero when the White Sox beat the Indians 8-3.
Let's go crazy. pic.twitter.com/TI1YvS7q42
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 26, 2019
The Twins can now sit back and relax the final four games of the season and ready the roster for the playoffs. The only thing they’re waiting for at this point is finding out who they’ll face in the best-of-five ALDS. It’ll be the Astros or Yankees, but more likely the Yankees since Houston is on pace to finish with the best record in the AL.
8:20 P.M. ORIGINAL STORY
The Twins were silent through six innings before they erupted for five runs late in the game en route to a 5-1 win over the Tigers in Detroit.
The victory moves the Twins to within one win or a Cleveland loss from clinching their first AL Central title since 2010. At the time of this story being published, the Indians were trailing the White Sox 3-1 in the third inning.
If Chicago holds on to beat the Indians, the Twins will be crowned division champions tonight.
Trailing 1-0 in the seventh, Luis Arraez got the scoring started with a two-run homer. Jorge Polanco made it 3-1 with an RBI triple in the eighth inning, and Eddie Rosario followed with a two-run homer to boost Minnesota’s lead to 5-1.
It was plenty of run support as Twins pitchers held the Tigers to just two hits. Randy Dobnak all but locked up a starting spot in the playoffs by pitching six innings of one-hit ball, and the bullpen cleaned up the final three innings for the win.
